Rose, Thorns and All
by Parallel To the Chasm
Summary: Rose begins her fifth year at Hogwarts with a heavy heart. Her mysterious lineage is brought to the surface, as is her crush on Harry Potter...
1. Introducing Rose

Reveiws and critiques greatly appreciated! Don't go too hard on me, I'm only 13!

Chapter 1

I stood in the middle of the crowded station, the steam from the Hogwarts Express billowing about my feet. My neck strained as I attempted in vain to see above the crowd. For a moment, the sea of bodies parted, and a familiar face slipped through.

"Rose! There you are!"

"_Ginny! _How was your summer?"

Ginny Weasley had been my best friend since first year. We were both short, freckled, and going into fifth year Gryffindor. But whereas her hair was sunrise-colored, mine was a sort of dusty brown. Another thing we had in common; we both were in love with a boy named Harry Potter.

It is quite an awkward thing, when you and your best friend share a crush on a boy; often, things can get quite tangled up. And in the end, obviously only one of us can end up with him. I suspected that it would be her- she was the more outspoken one, and by far the prettier. But I can still dream.

"My summer was great, thanks. Except- Phlegm was staying with us. _For the whole summer_. Because she's getting married to Bill, y'know," complained Ginny.

"Phlegm_- _oh! You mean Fleur? She's marring Bill? Congratulations!"

"Yeah, right. She's going to be my auntie now, isn't that... disgusting?"

"I'd be quite happy if I had an auntie. You know quite well my mum's adopted."

"Ugh... Aunt Fleur." Ginny gagged. "Well anyway, come on! We should go find a seat- I promised I'd meet Dean Thomas."

Side by side, we began to trot toward the train, but a restricting hand was laid on Ginny's shoulder. We both spun around.

"Fancy trying to find a compartment?" asked the newcomer.

Ah. It was Harry. His black hair was mussed, as usual, and his round glasses sat on his nose in a crooked sort of way. He was very cute, with his wiry, skinny body. He was also quite kind, and brave... I could feel the blush creeping onto my pale cheeks as he swept over my face with warm, green eyes.

"I can't, Harry, I said I'd meet Dean," said Ginny brightly. "See you later."

We continued to walk away, but we could feel him still watching us as we swept away and onto the train. Dean was quite easy to find- he was chattering loudly with a group of friends.

"Why didn't you say okay?" I hissed at Ginny, as we slid into the compartment.

"I told him- I said I'd meet Dean."

"Are you nervous?"

"Of what?"

There was an akward pause, sharply broken by Dean plunking himself easily in beetween us. It was apparent, as soon as they began their conversation, that I was no longer needed; so I turned to look out the window and appeal to my thoughts. The train began to move, people and station soon melding into streaks of color and then melting away into the horizon. Trees, and endless grass shot by us in endless green, but my mind was in a different place altogether. Harry would never notice me if I didn't make myself known; and yet, I knew I could never do that. I was just too shy. It was true- and I had to face the hard truth here- Ginny was the only person that I felt comfertable speaking to. I might get a few comments out of people- the general, "Hey, how was your summer" sort of stuff, but otherwise I was too nervous to make any real friends or even keep a conversation going with anyone but Ginny. I was afraid of the things that people could do to me- especially the girls. Girls have this certain power, where they know exactly how and why to hurt you. It comes naturally to all of us, even me. Girls_ like_ to talk behind each other's backs, and often gossip can be fiercer than any storm. I was afraid that they would hurt me. And I couldn't afford to be hurt- not any more than I had. My mum never knew her real parents, and my da was drowned when I was ten. Some part of me was lost that day; the part that could accept other humans, the part that wanted to speak out and belong to the complex social world. And I never cried- not once, not even when they were laying his body down into the coffin, not even when the last shovelful of dirt fell down and hid my father's body forever. So instead, I watch. I learn. And I remember.

Did you like it? Next chapter coming VERY soon...


	2. Slug Club

Chapter 2

Meeting Slughorn

Dean and Ginny were quite engrossed in their conversation, so I was the only one to notice when the compartment door slid open. A rotund, frightened-looking first year girl slipped in, two scrolls of paper clutched to her chest. She had a round, very red face, and was standing like she most certainly didn't want to be where she was now.

"Um," she whispered. "Are Ginny Weasly and... um... Rose Lanah here?"

I scooted forward. "I'm Rose. Ginny's the one over there." I scowled toward my friend, deeply involved in her conversation with Dean.

"Okay. I'm, um, supposed to give these to you," the girl said hurriedly, and shoved the scrolls into my lap. I threw one over to Ginny, and she caught it deftly. "What's this about?" she asked, clearly unwanting to break away from her conversation with Dean. I noticed that the girl had hurried away, taking her cascade of 'um's with her.

"No clue," I responded, and untied the lavender ribbon that was wrapped about the paper. It read;

_Rose;_

_I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C. _

_Sincerely, _

**Professor H.E.F. Slughorn**

"Proffessor Slughorn? Who's he?" Ginny asked.

"Not a clue. D'you think we should go?"

"We have to though, right? He must be a teacher, after all..."

We left the compartment. Compartment C was near the other end of the train, but we were both cramped up from sitting so long and supposed we needed a walk anyway.

"He must be the DADA teacher. I'm so glad Umbridge is gone," I muttered to Ginny.

"Yeah, me too. I suppose we're not doing the DA anymore, right?"

"Yeah. I'm going to miss that."

"Me too."

I had been a member of the DA- Dumbledore's Army- last year, when I was a fourth grader. I was there for the whole Department of Mysteries escapade, too- and close enough to see Sirius Black fall into the archway, hit by Bellatrix Lestrange's killing curse...

But. I was going to miss the meetings. _Those _were worth looking forward to.

I was not really friends with those three- Harry, Hermione, and Ron- instead, I was just a sort of 'tagalong' member. People remembered me as Ginny Weasley's Friend, or That Girl That Hangs Out With Ginny Weasley. I bet that Harry didn't even know my name. And then, my thoughts were snapped to back the present, away from Sirius' blank face...

Here we are. Compartment C. Ginny slides the door open, and we find a seat in the tiny room. Three boys and the proffessor are all crammed into the compartment- crammed because the proffessor is _huge_. His wide berth could easily take up two of the seats. Ginny somehow finds herself stuffed up next to the proffessor's right side, smashed against the wall, and I am somewhat diagonal to his whale-like proportions.

"Ah! Ginny Weasley, is it? And... Rose, I think? Marvelous!" The proffessor offers his giant meat-slab hand to Ginny, simply radiating jolly madness. "Can't wait to get to know you better! Just sit tight, we're nearly all here... so Ginny, you know Harry Potter, then?"

"Um. Yes..."

"Wonderful, wonderful! And you, Lanah!" Words spilled out of his mouth in a jumble. "You're certainly very... intresting."

"Uh... good?" I muttered. The sheer _bounciness_ of this man was overwhelming.

"Yes, very good! Astonishingly good, in fact! This is Blaise Zabini, this is Cormac McLaggen, and this is Marcus Belby-" Slughorn reeled off the names, his sausage-like index finger swinging around to each boy. Blaise Zabini, a Slytherin boy, was clearly disdainful of the teacher. "You know, Marcus... I had the pleasure to teach your old uncle Damocles! Wonderful boy, he was, but- oh! Look whom it is!" Slughorn was like a delighted child as none other than Harry Potter slipped through the door. Close behind him lurked an uncomfortable-looking boy; Neville Longbottom, as clumsy and unfortunate as ever...

I could have sworn the room's temperature dropped a few degrees as Zabini raked his dark eyes over Harry. Slughorn took the liberties of introducing the compartment yet again, but this time ending with; "This is Rose Lanah, and _this_ charming young lady tells me she knows you!" Ginny gave a theatrical grimace as Slughorn began to offer entire roast phesants to the group. I watched Harry closley as he sat down.

But though his demeanor may be friendly, it was quite obvious what he wanted- to be near the more famous wizarding children. Marcus Belby quickly fell out of good terms with him, as it was revealed that he didn't get on well with his powerful Uncle Damocles. Everyone in the compartment was related to someone powerful, rich, or famous- except for Ginny and I, it seemed. I wasn't quite certain why Neville was here, until it was revealed by Slughorn that his parents had been tortured into insanity by a pair of Death Eaters. It was quite amazing how Slughorn took the subject so lightly,using such comments as "Lovely!", "Yes, good chap he was, your dad..." and "Try the potatoes! They're quite good!" Zabini was quite rich, and McLaggen's parents were quite influential toward the Minister...

"And Rose! Dear Rose, how could I forget about you!" he boomed, turning his smile on me. "You do have quite an intresting parantage, don't you! How's your father, doing well?"

"He's dead," I said starkly and met his moist eyes easily. He looked away, clearly discomforted.

"Oh. Well, that's quite a shame! Quite a good wizard in his time, hm? So, are you living... that is to say... comfertably with-?"

"He did leave us with a lot of money when he died, if that's what you want to know."

"Ah. Yes! Good, very good. I see that you don't use his surname?"

"My mother passed her maiden name onto me."

"Er...good, good." Slughorn whisked his attention over to another unfortunate student.

Of course, Slughorn lingered the most on Harry. "...But the stories- so sensational, of course, one doesn't know quite what to belive- this fabled _prophecy_, for instance..."

"We never heard a prophecy," said Neville. His round face adopted a pinkish hue.

"That's right. Neville, Rose and I were all there too," Ginny cut in.

"A prophecy? I'm pretty certain that it's another one of the Daily Prophet's tales. That, and all the rubbish about the 'Chosen One', too," I added.

Even though there had been a prophecy. Even though I can clearly remember the small, spun-glass ball, and how it glittered when it hit the ground and shattered... Even though I can clearly recall the opaque, fluid figure that had risen out of the prophecy's remains.

"You were all there too, were you then?" Slughorn said, his face lighting up with sudden intrest. All three of us smiled back quietly, refusing to let any information go.

"Yes... well... it is true that the Prophet often exaggerates, of course..." Slughorn let his disappointment show clearly on his wide face. "I remember dear Gwenog telling me..."

We all sat back against the train's plush seats as he wandered off into the past. Ginny rolled her eyes dramatically at me. This seemed to be the longest train ride that I'd ever had, as Slughorn treated us with dry stories about past students he had taught.

"And of course, we decided to make our own little... ah, shall we say _gathering_... of the most illustrious students, called the Slug Club. Isn't that quite clever? I'd be honored, if you'd like to join..." And so, the evening wore on. Eventually, Slughorn happened to look out the window, and- "Good gracious, it's getting dark already! I didn't notice that they'd lit the lamps!" He ushered us out the door, nearly winding poor Belby, and shut the compartment door after us with an offer to "drop by any time you're passing!"

"That was...different," I began.

"He was quite rude to you, Rose," said Harry.

My stomach clenched itself in a little nervous knot. "Oh. He didn't know my da was dead, that's all-"

"Doesn't matter. He was still a git." Ginny glared back at the compartment. "Do you know why he's invited me, then?"

"I dunno. You're pretty good at... um, everything, I guess- maybe he's heard?" That earned him a snort from Ginny.

"And did you see some of the... _people_ he had invited in there?" Harry continued. "Zabini isn't smart or anything, just rich-" he broke off unexpectedly, looking after the back of Zabini's retreating head. You could practically see the little lightbulb light up over his head. "I'll see you three later," said Harry, and abruptly pulled out his invisibility cloak.

"But what're you-" asked Neville in his usual nervous fashion.

"Later!" hissed Harry, and he was off. Ginny shrugged.

"Ah well. We might as well get back to our compartments," she said, and began to walk away. I began to follow her, but Neville stopped me.

"Um. Wait!" he exclaimed.

"Yes?" I said, a bit impatiently.

"Um. You... he... um... er..." Neville stuttered, his face blooming red again. "He was really mean to you back there!" he burst out.

"Er... that's really okay. I'm used to it now, I guess."

"Um. I saved this chocolate frog for you? From the trolly lady? Well, it wasn't _from_ the trolly lady, it's from me, I got it from the trolley lady-" He shoved a crinkled wrapper into my hands, and dashed away.

"Er... thank you?" I told his back, then turned to follow Ginny. Hogwarts was nearing, and I'd have to change into my robes soon.

Meh... I'm really tired. I got up only a few hours ago... I slept in really late this morning! Next chapter will come- err- soon, I hope?


End file.
